Shoehorn



Patented May 17, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,118,019 snoEHoRNl Walter O. Benjafield, New York, N. Y.

Application August 31, 1935, Serial No. 38,836 claims.' (c1. sei- 1) This invention relates to shoe horns, and more especially to such devices designed to be worn in the shoe.

One feature of the invention is: theprovision of a shoe horn of exible material that conforms to the shape of the heel while the shoe is on the foot and enhances the hold of the shoe on the foot.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a shoe horn of flexible material that may be secured within the shoe on the bottom thereof at such a position that when the'shoe is on the foot the horn extends rearwardly under the heel and upwardly in back of .the heel,

but when the shoe is olf the foot the horn may overlie the rear top edge of the shoe when` drawn out and thereby provide an extension whereby a finger-hold is provided to assist the insertion of the foot into the shoe. Furthermore, an eyelet may be provided in the end of the horn for facile gripping thereof by the thumb and finger of the hand.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of elasticity in such a shoe horn whereby the horn may be stretched or extended for better finger-gripping when the foot is being inserted in the shoe. This elasticity may be integrated with or added to a part of the horn. This construction also permits the horn proper beneath and back of the heel, while the foot is in the shoe, to remain in adhering co-ntact with the sock and the heel whereby all frictional or wearing effect on the sock is eliminated and thereby transferring any frictional wear to the side of the shoe horn which contacts the shoe. Also, the pull of the elastic against the back of the heel helps to carry the foot forward in an easy manner into the shoe, in other words, it tends to shorten the heel of ones foot for the time being.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a slotted insole whereby the elastic, a part of the horn, may be passed through the insole and fastened beneath said insole thereby both enhancing the security of the fastening and the ease and comfort of the shoe on the foot, and preventing wear on the socks.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of such a shoe horn which overlies the upper rear edge of a low oxford shoe while the foot is being inserted in the shoe and thereby prevents the bending over or turning of the top rear edge of the shoe which often mars the ap- 55 pearance of the edge and shortens the life of the shoe by injury to itsf construction around the heel. f

Another feature of the invention is the pro-` vision of such a shoe horn which is constantly attahed to the shoe with which it is worn. 5 Other features are low cost of manufacture and facility in securing the device in a shoe.

Reference is made to the drawing, which is hereby made a part of this specification, ln which: V l() Fig. l is a side elevation, partly in section to show the improved horn in the position as worn with the foot in the shoe. v

Fig. 2 is a view similar to that of Fig. l, but with the improved hornextending over the? rear l5 top of the shoe.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the improved shoe horn.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the improved shoe horn slotted through an insole beneath 20 which it is fastened to the shoe. i

Fig. 5 is a side view of the structure shown in Fig. 4 with the insole sectioned to show the fastening.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout 25 the drawing. A shoe I is of the ordinary low or oxford type having a leather sole 2 which rises and merges in a heel 3. The back of the shoe is ordinarily concaved on the inside to ccnform with the bone of the human heel and ter- 30 minates in an upper inwardly curving edge 4.

It is this inwardly curving edge 4 that causes diiculty or trouble in inserting the foot in the shoe. If horns be not at hand, it is necessary to loosen the lacing completely at great expense 35 of time and effort so making necessary the complete relacing of the shoe with more loss of time. I provide a horn 5 of exible material, such as leather, which has a rear extension 6 which is separated therefrom by a narorw or neck portion 40 I9. As shown in Fig. l, the horn proper 5 lies under the heel of the foot and the extention 5 fits snugly the concave heel of the shoe below the rear top 4 with the neck l 9 at the lower rear end. An elastic piece 8 is fastened at l by stitching 4.5 or other suitable means to the front end of the horn 5 and at its forward end to the sole 2 of the shoe by a pin I9 passed through a hole 9 at a point to the rear of the natural locus of the ball of the foot in the shoe and on the sole 2, or other means of fastening. It is to be understood that the elastic piece 9 may be increased in length and the horn 5 shortened or that al1 or a part or the flexible horn 5 may be made of elastic material.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5 the flexible horn II has in the rear portion I2 an elliptical eyelet I3 which facilitates gripping to assist inserting the foot in the shoe. An `elastic piece I4 is stitched or otherwise suitably secured to the horn II at I'I and is passed through a transverse groove or slot I6 in an insole I5 to the front under edge of which it is fastened at 20 and the integrated unit may be pinned by pin I1 to the sole 2 of the shoe I as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

My improved exible and elastic shoe horn not only facilitates the insertion of the foot in the shoe, but also gives a snug t of the shoe about the heel so increasing the ease and comfort of walking and lessening the wear of the fabric -of the hose at the heel.

Variations may be made within the lscope of my invention and parts may be used without others.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a .shoe having a shoe horn therein, a piece of elastic material connecting said shoe horn to the shoe :sole at a point adjacent to and rearward of the ball portion of the sole, said shoe horn being of a length shorter Vthan a central line extending over the inside surface of the shoe from said point of attachment on the sole to the upper rear `edge of the shoe, but longer than the straight-line distance between said point on the sole and said upper rear edge of the shoe.

2. The article of manufacture as defined in claim 1, said shoe having an insole provided with a transverse slot through which said elastic material passes, and means attaching the front end of the elastic material to the insole.

3. In a shoe, a shoe horn, an elastic piece attached to same and fastened by its foremost edge to the bottom ofy the shoe, said horn having an eyelet cut in its top to produce a nger-andthumb grip for use while a, foot is being inserted in the shoe.

4. In a shoe, a shoe horn, means for fastening the shoe horn to the insole of the shoe at a point adjacent to and rearward of the point where the ball of the foot naturally rests, the length of said shoe horn being such that when `the foot is not in the shoe it may overlie the top of the back Vof the shoe to provide a. linger-and-thumb grip thereon, but being such that when the foot is in the shoe, the rear end lies below the top of the shoe, the portion of said horn which lies on the insole being narrower than they insole, and said shoe horn having a mounting which includes an elastic piece that permits the shoe horn to be pulled out appreciably by the nger-and-thumb grip .and the horn to be automatically drawn by said elastic piece against the bottom of thefoot into normal wearing position when the fingerand-thumb grip is released.

5. As :an improved article of manufactura' a shoe having an attachment for facilitating the insertion of the foot into a shoe, said attachment including a rear part and a front part, the two parts being fastened together, the rear part substantially covering the Vrear of the quarter portion of the shoe, the front part being elastic, and means for fastening the elastic part to the inside of the shoe.

WAL'IER o. BENJAFIELD. 

